As a die-hard fan of the Bourne trilogy, I absolutely loved the new self-titled Jason Bourne movie. Matt Damon, now in his forties, jumps back into the role of Bourne for the first time since 2007. His character has also aged, producing a wiser Bourne. Damon does a fantastic job as Bourne, continuing the acting that brought the character to life during the first three movies. He even got back into peak physical condition for the role.
A lot of critics were knocking the movie for being too similar to past installments or having minimal plot development. While I will admit the plot wasn't as deep or intricate as the previous Damon installments, I loved every second of it. The plot of this Bourne film was probably the most relevant one to our society.
Basically, the CIA is planning to use a new social media platform to spy on everyone who uses it, while the company claims users have complete privacy. This is something I can definitely see happening in the future and appreciate the realism. Amidst the corruption, Nikki Parks (Julia Stiles) obtains a flash drive with all the files of the CIA's past programs (Treadstone, Blackbriar, etc.). She gives the files to Bourne with intentions of exposing the CIA and for Bourne to discover more about his past, before he was a part of Treadstone. What he uncovers ends up fueling his anger. Bourne then travels across the globe, seeking answers and revenge. He ends up finding himself in Las Vegas, maneuvering his way through security and restricted areas.
As with the Bourne formula, the main antagonist is an old white guy (Tommy Lee Jones), accompanied by a ruthless assassin (Vincent Cassel). Both men play their respective roles well, doing a great job of conveying corruption and hatred. There is also the traditional female CIA operative (Heather Lee) who doesn’t quite understand why so much energy is spent trying to kill Bourne.
I won't spoil anything, but the car chases and fight scenes live up to the high standards. The motorcycle chase is one of the craziest chases I have ever seen. Watching Bourne wreck a car or knock someone unconscious with whatever object he finds on the ground is always satisfying. The shaky camera work makes the fighting scenes seem that much more realistic.
The acting in the movie was stellar, the camera work was brilliant (especially in the first 30 minutes), the action had me on the edge of my seat, and the plot was relevant.
If it isn't broke, don't fix it. This is the best way to describe this film. The Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon collaboration is filled with everything fans loved about the first three films. If you are a huge Bourne fan, you will love this movie. If you just want to see a summer action flick, Bourne does not disappoint. I am not sure whether Damon intends to portray Bourne anymore, but I am glad he reprised the role for this release.
Overall rating: 8.75/10
